Category Archives: Laszlo Torma

With Laszlo retiring on December 12th, I thought it would be fun to do a short interview with him to learn a bit about his experiences and his plans for retirement. We have all really enjoyed working with him over the years and even though we’re a little sad to a friend leave the company, we’re also very happy and excited that Laszlo and his wife Sondra can enjoy all the wonderful things about living in Montana –skiing, viewing wolves in Yellowstone National Park, and delicious steak dinners all come to mind…

Laszlo officially joined Pickering in July of 2002 as Director of Technical Relations, but we knew him even before then. He worked at the Montana Department of Agriculture for 35 years (from 1965-2000), where he was one of Pickering’s best customers. I remember meeting Laszlo for the first time at a Midwest AOAC meeting in 2000. Very soon after I came to admire his love and respect for the science and the people. I have learned a great deal from him over the years.

WR: What do you look forward to most in retirement?LT: Relaxing and trying to learn more about computers. Hopefully still be able to go skiing

WR: How did you get started in science?LT: My uncle was a veterinarian who enjoyed toxicology. Whenever I had a chance (that is, not going to soccer camp or playing) I was around him, “helping” him. He directed me toward the sciences like toxicology and chemistry.

WR: Favorite city/state/location to travelLT: I have to be selfish and say Budapest (laughing) But in the US, New Orleans is always fun

WR: What was the most unusual test/sample/situation in the lab?LT: Stomach contents. And sometimes we received Grizzly bear saliva to test. It was part of a forensic case to determine whether the bear had been poisoned with strychnine. Some of the bears had indeed been poisoned.

WR: What are one or two of your accomplishments which you are most proud of?LT: At the time when I joined Pickering, somebody had started false rumors about the company which were saying that we were closing shop; successfully put that to rest. I worked hard to put Pickering “back on the map”. Also, the activities with AOAC, the state Ag labs, and also EPA & FDA activities. Of our activities with AOAC, I am especially proud of our Award for our Single Laboratory Validation of the Year (for Multi-Residue Mycotoxin analysis). We worked very hard on that.

WR: How did you meet Michael Pickering and how did you become a Pickering customer?LT: I met Michael at one of the Midwest AOAC Meetings in the late 1990s.
Nancy Thiex, who was with South Dakota State University at the time, introduced me to him. We had a homemade Post Column derivatization system which was large and cumbersome. After talking with Michael, we decided to purchase Pickering systems for carbamates and amino acid analysis.

WR: What is your fondest memory of working with Pickering Labs?LT: Working with all of you. Overall we had a very good relationship and I enjoyed working with most of the people

WR: Who will keep us company at the Tiki Hut in Florida?LT: (Laughs) You carry that torch very well. Just think of me when you’re there

Even though officially Laszlo has retired, he promises to keep in touch between ski runs. Feel free to contact him directly until January 10, 2015. His email is laszlo@pickeringlabs.com

Wendy, Maria, Mike, David, Saji, and Rebecca are committed to carry on Laszlo’s good work and will continue to stay active at the meetings within the analytical chemistry community. We certainly have some very big shoes to fill!

I first had the pleasure of knowing Laszlo through our mutual involvement with AOAC (far longer ago than I’m willing to admit). I admired his technical knowledge, and the excellent ways in which he represented the interests of his home state of Montana, his lab there, and the AOAC organization as a whole.

Laszlo first started working for Pickering Labs twelve years ago, and my professional admiration for him blossomed into a lasting friendship. My wife and I have many fond memories of visiting Napa and Yellowstone with Laszlo and his wife Sondra, and over the years we have had the pleasure of hosting them several delightful times in our home.

Laszlo has been a valuable member of our team here at Pickering, too. His insight is unmatched, and we have benefited so much from his tireless travel on our behalf. I have always known that Pickering Labs is well represented by Laszlo, and I particularly enjoyed traveling with him to AOAC International 2009 in Philadelphia and watching him work firsthand.

So, I propose a toast to Laszlo Torma! Congratulations on your retirement! You will be greatly missed, and thank you for your hard work and warm friendship.

Michael

The Pickering team raise a glass to Lazlo on Friday, December 12, 2014:

It was the 125th Anniversary of the AOAC in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and this annual meeting was especially exciting with the anniversary celebrations.

At the Vendor exhibition we highlighted our Mycotoxin and GPC Sample-Cleanup products lines to expand our offering of the post-column derivatization products we are most known for.

The Scientific sessions also reflected growing interest in the analysis of Mycotoxins as well as Paralytic Shell Fish Toxins and a broad range of analytical instrumentation and techniques.

We brought a large contingency of personnel including Dr. Pickering, Dr. Ofitserova, Dr. Nerkar, Dr. Torma to accept the AOAC’s Single Laboratory Validation of the Year Award for our Multi-residue Mycotoxin Analysis. The paper, titled “Multi-residue Mycotoxin Analysis in Corn Grain by Column High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Post-column Photochemical and Chemical Derivatization: Single-Laboratory Validation” was also published in the Journal of AOAC International Vol. 92, No. 1, 2009.

As of right now, Pickering Laboratories, Inc. will remain open during the “Shelter in Place” order for Santa Clara County so as to provide other essential businesses with the support and supplies necessary to operate, including hospitals and clinical laboratories.

Our inventory levels and response times are currently normal. Responsiveness is subject to change and orders may need to be prioritized accordingly to supply essential businesses.

Thank you for your patience and for your business as we all work together through this difficult time. Please contact us with any questions you may have.